To Stop Running
by Taisi
Summary: Leo works himself too hard, and his brothers worry. It's about time he learns that there's more to family than obligations and empty promises.


A/N: A Leo-centric drabble- because I love him and I love that he's found a family that loves him, too. There are no OCs here, everyone mentioned is a legit character. C:

* * *

><p>The deadline was coming up to storm the fortress and rescue one Percy Jackson- who seemed to be camp favorite no matter who you asked. And in a camp this big, that was saying something- <em>everyone <em>was excited for the day the ship rolled out, because that day brought them closer to having him back where he belonged.

For Leo, that meant pressure.

Wake up, it's a beautiful morning- down to the bunker. Lunch, what's lunch? Work, work, work till his hands were black with oil and his hair was damp with sweat, but no breaks, this was _important_. Dinner bell's ringing, but he finally managed to come up with a design that wouldn't buckle under it's own weight, now he just had to test it-

Large hands tugged the tools away from him, and he glanced up, bewildered. Jake, one of his big brothers, moved away without saying anything, shaking his head, and dropped them into one of the many toolboxes nearby.

"Jake, what are you doing?" Leo asked, arms falling uselessly to his sides. He didn't know how to be at a worktable without a wrench or a screwdriver in his hand. Behind Jake, Shane was switching lights off farther down the room. "You guys, it's dinnertime, you should- "

"You don't sit through meals with us anymore," Jake interrupted him, his tone sharp enough to render Leo speechless. "You haven't slept through a night in the cabin in almost a week. When you're not fulfilling your head counselor duties, you're down here every other waking minute- and honestly, I'm surprised you haven't dropped yet."

"You're making it sound bad," Leo countered, frowning. "It's not like I don't eat or sleep, and I haven't been ignoring you at all, I'd never do that."

"But you're taking on too much." Shane's voice was different, pleading, almost, as he came up next to them. "You're awesome at everything, Leo, but- we don't want you to- burn out."

The pyrokinetic boy stared at them. He didn't get it. He was doing everything right, he was shouldering his responsibilities the way he never had before, he wasn't _running, _he was there, working his ass off to make sure no one was disappointed in him-

"You're scaring us," Jake said quietly. The sharp edge to his tone didn't soften, but he let some of the weariness show. Leo felt his heart break a little at the helplessness on the older camper's face as he continued, "We can't lose you to this, Leo. We- you don't understand how much all of us have come to depend on you. We need to know you'll be there for us, no matter what. And you won't be if you keep this up, and you know it."

"We need you," Shane continued. "Harley- Leo, you're like the _sun _to him, he _adores _you. He wants to be just like you, and he misses you every time you skip a meal and every time you're not there to say goodnight."

Leo clenched his fists, despite how sore his hands were from the unforgiving metal he'd been working all day. How did they expect him to just understand all this?

This camp- was different. It was different from the Wilderness School, and it was different from every foster home he'd ever had- it was something he hadn't let himself know in seven years.

He wrapped his arms around himself without realizing it, and felt his hair start to steam. Seven years of dodging, running, forgetting what it meant to say "I love you" to someone who could say it back and _mean _it, forgetting what it was like to always have a safe place to go and feel welcomed and loved and-

God, he had that now and he hadn't even _realized _it.

"We're family, Leo." He was so small compared to Jake, who put an arm around his shoulders despite the heat. He didn't even seem to mind it, and that in itself made Leo bite back a sob.

He wasn't safe with family. _I killed my own mother. _

But the way they were looking at him now- so desperate to help him, so desperate not to lose him- they knew about his fire, they _knew _he was dangerous, and they were still there. They hadn't left him, they weren't about to let him run away. His whole cabin- his siblings- they were worried about him, worried every time he worked through the night or skipped lunch. Little things he didn't really consider had them watching him sidelong and despairing because they didn't know how to help him, and the whole time he was working so hard not to let them down.

The absurdity of it made him laugh, though it was weak and sounded a little pathetic. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and felt Jake hug him harder and press a kiss into his hair.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything," he said, "it's an older brother's job to worry."

"Let's go get some food," Shane said, sounding relieved that they weren't going to have to drag Leo out kicking and screaming. "Don't bother washing up, it's strictly come as you are. Chris said he'd save us some seats, and Nyssa won't let them start without us."

Jake nudged him with a grin, inviting him to join in the joke. "Yeah, even Chiron won't mess with her."

Wiping his eyes quickly with his sleeve, and probably smearing oil across his face, Leo unclipped his tool-belt and slung it over his shoulder, a gesture that didn't go unappreciated in his brothers' eyes. "Hey, it's cool having a sister that could beat us up, right?"

_It's cool having a family that cares. I couldn't ask for a better one._

_Even if I could, I wouldn't dare. They wouldn't let me go without a fight._

And knowing that was the most wonderful thing Leo had ever had that was real. He smiled widely at the sky when he saw it for the first time since that morning, and felt himself tugged closer to Jake's side.

"After dinner, we're taking on the Ares kids in capture the flag. You game?"

"Oh, I am _so _there."

There were more important things than work, after all.


End file.
